"No child should be forcibly restrained or detained in any way, except in extreme cases in which they show obvious intent to harm or by their actions pose real and immediate danger to themselves and others."
These rules are good so far as they go and I must consider whether they go far enough. In what purports to be an attempt to set out some guidelines, other passages refer to the earlier letters on "Child care Discipline Jewels", "Kidz Correction" and "Dad's Guidelines for Discipline". I have already commented adversely on Berg's enthusiastic endorsement of corporal punishment expressed in those letters and there is little hint of recantation in 1994. It is a pity.
I have some evidence of some other changes that are taking place but - at least so far as I know - not yet the subject of specific letters from World Services. They were referred to by Peter Amsterdam in his letter to me.
The first related to The Family's educational philosophy. Apparently Maria convened a meeting of a number of WS and CRO educational representatives in January 1994 with a view to improving The Family's home schooling. They made a number of detailed recommendations which were said to be due for publication. Among them will be encouraging the taking of local national secondary education examinations, researching the possibility of taking outside training in subjects where help is needed, using people from outside the communities to help teach specialised skills and generally the making of greater use of local educational opportunities, excursions, outings and facilities. There seems to be no assistance offered to those who would wish to go on to further education because:
"It would be very difficult for a home to provide the necessary resources to facilitate such courses of education."
The only solution seems to be that the child concerned, and probably his family, should leave the community and become TSers.
The second aspect to which he refers is the "Ministry of Reconciliation". I have already referred to the decision to open the doors to non-members. Amsterdam told me:
"As leader of The Family, I would like to affirm that we are committed to a long term policy of fostering as much openness as possible, both within our communities and in our relations outside."
In addition The Family saw as significant the TRF supporter programme. Initially there was some tension between those who remained full time members and the TSers but, as The Family began to acknowledge the support the TSers gave them, especially in times of persecution, WS was now encouraging The Family at all levels to have more contact with TSers. Amsterdam wrote:
"We are presently in the process of drawing up new policy guidelines for contact with TSers."
Another aspect of their "evolving policies" concerns the teenagers who were leaving The Family. He wrote:-
"Some local leadership, most specifically in England, seem to handle the departing of some of their teens quite wisely, setting them up in apartments, giving them funds, helping them find jobs, etc. We very much agree with this approach and have encouraged other areas to adopt the same policy. We love these young people. If they decide that the missionary life in The Family is not their calling nor vocation, then we intend to help them make the transition into mainstream society with as few difficulties as possible. ... If any of our young people choose to leave The Family, we intend to respect their wishes." For those families where a teenager moves out of a Family home, "we are presently working on policy to make it easier for these parents and teens to have regular contact."
He also wrote that:
"This ministry of reconciliation, along with the general overall openness that has developed within The Family over the last 2½ years is also touching the relationship between Family members and their relatives. With our new openness, Family members are more inclined to contact and visit relatives invite them to visit the homes".
That resumé of the literature satisfies me that The Family has undergone a series of quite fundamental changes in recent times, these changes affecting key areas of leadership and the style of leadership, a firm reining in of sexual freedom, greater freedom and responsibility for the teens, some kerbs on excessive discipline, some possibility of outside education, and a general opening of the doors to the outside world. I turn to consider to what extent the theory has been put into practice.
